NAB has become the first of the Big Four banks to offer virtual everyday banking appointments, as more customers shift their banking online. It comes as physical bank branches dwindle across the country, with 98 branches closing across the major banks last financial year.
From March, NAB customers will be able to book appointments online and choose either a secure video call or an in-branch meeting. The major bank said the move set a “new benchmark” in banking and will give customers greater convenience and control when it comes to their banking needs.
“We know time is precious. This option gives customers the freedom to book when it suits them – whether they’re at home, at work or on the go,” NAB executive for retail banking, Paul Carter, said.
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Video appointments for home lending are already available at NAB and other banks like Commonwealth Bank, but NAB says this is the first time customers can book an everyday banking appointment remotely.
Appointments will be with bankers based at the branch, rather than call centres, and customers can still head into the branch if they want to chat to someone face-to-face.
Melbourne mum Sian McKenzie said getting into a branch with a four-month-old was “almost impossible”, and the digital change would make things a little easier for mums like her.
“Now I can jump on a video call during nap time and tick banking off my list without leaving the house,” she said.
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Director of civil contracting business DMB Contracting, Dean Barker, said the time savings could be significant.
“Driving into town can chew up half a day. With video appointments, I can sort out banking from the farm office in minutes – it’s a game changer,” he said.
The Council on the Ageing Australia has welcomed the introduction of video appointments, but cautioned that it needed to complement, not replace, in-person banking.
More than 99 per cent of customer bank interactions now occur digitally, according to the Australian Banking Association. Bank branch interactions have fallen by 51 per cent since 2019, as people shift towards digital banking.
The number of bank branches nationwide dropped by 155 over the 2025 financial year, with 98 of those from the Big Four banks.
